Railway motor



July 4, 1933.

D. T. WILLIAMS RAILWAY MOTOR Filed March 8, 1929 INVENTOR 1301 via!TVW/l/ams BY & I I

ORN EY Patented July 4, 1933 DAVID r. wIL nus,

PATENT OFFICE or mew YORK, 11. Y.

RAILWAY IOTOB Application filed larch 8 The object of the invention isto provide an improved power structure for use ma locomotive, embodyingan internal combustion engine, a compressor operated by said engine, anda compressed air driven motor for driving the driving wheels of alocomotlve operated by the air from the compressor,

, whereby, as a primary feature, a conservation of space is efiected,through the utilization of the exhaust, products of the en 1ne-andmotor, to first cool the compresse an by means of the exhaust productsof the motor,

to increase the amount of. air that may be stored within the availablespace, and thereafter to raise the temperature of the compressed air bymeans of the exhaust products of the engine to a degree suitable for usein the motor cylinders, thereby, by the saving of the space by saidcooling of the air, providing a power structure of dimensions within thelimited confines of a locomotive, and

. achieving the saving in space by the employment of otherwise exhaustedand wasted products.

In the use ofcompressed air motors for the purpose of propelling railwayvehicles, much trouble has been experienced through the tendency of theexhaust passages to clog up with frost or ice derived from the moisturethat is present in the atmosphere under practically all normalconditions. It has been found necessary to re-heat the air beforeadmission to the wor ing cylinders to prevent this result, and even whenthis expedient is employed, it is found to be impossible to use highratios of expansion, the great adiabatic drop resulting therefromtending to cool even highly heated compressed air to below the freezingpoint;

It has also been found necessary to provide for a substantial storagecapacity for the high-pressure compressed air, involving the paradoxicalrequirement of cooling the air from the compressor in order that anadequate amount may be stored, and re-heating the said air when drawnfrom storage for use in the motor cylinders in order to preventfreezing. 1

This invention is directed to a means whereby the otherwise waste heatmay be 1929. Serial 1am. 345,542

utilized to efiect theabove thermal changes without employingindependent heaters, as has heretofore been deemed. necessary.

.The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatlc delineation of a power plantcomprismg 8. Diesel engine, an air compressor directly connectedthereto, and the associated members illustrating an approved embodimentof the invention. a

Referring descriptively to the approved embodiment thereof which isherein exemplified by the drawing, a water-cooled internalcombustionengine 1,. is directly connected to a water-cooled air compressor 2. Are-' ceiver 3, containing cooling means, is provided for the storage'ofair compressed by the compressor, and intermediate receivers 4 and 5,provided with heating means, are in- ,terposed between the receiver 3and a multia cylindrical shell 30, a tube sheet 3113 at each I end ofthe shell, tubes 36 secured in the tube sheets, and a header 3f at eachend of the shell. Compressed air is led from the compressor 2, throughthe pipe 2a, into the shell 30, and partially expanded cOIIlPIGSSGd airfor cooling the stored air is led by the pipe 8d into the header at oneend of the receiver and passing through .thetubes 3e, enters the headerat the other end of the receiver, from 8 which header it escapes to theatmosphere by a pipe 36. The intermediate receivers 4 and 5 are similarin construction to the receiver, 3. i

A multi-stage air motor, comprisinga high pressure stage cylinder 6, andtwo low pressure cylinders 7a, 7 6, receives the treated air from theintermediate receivers 4 and 5, and is operatively connected to drivingwheels 14 of the locomotive. Connected to each of the pistons ofcylinders 7 a and 7b is a piston rod 13 which drives a connecting rod13a connected to'a crank pin on a driving wheel 14.

Connected to the piston of the cylinder 6 is 100 a piston rod 15, whichdrivbs a connecting rod 15a connected at one end to the crank 15?) ofthe wheel axle 150. The aforesaid cylinders are provided with jacketsexteriorly en- ('ompassing their walls, exhaust gases from thewater-cooled internal combustion en me 1 being caused to flow throughsaid jac ets for the purpose of heating said walls.

\Vater is circulated through jackets surrounding the cylinders of theinternal combustion engine 1, and the cylinders of the air compressor 2,and thence led to a receptacle 8 containing cooling means through whichthe air exhausted from the multistage motor cylinders 7a, 7 Z) is passedto cool the circulating water. The receptacle 8 1s m the form of theusual heat exchanger and is similar in its structural details to thereceiver 3. i

The above members are provided with ducts as follows: a duct 9, havingbranches 9a conveys cooled circulating water to the jackets of theinternal combustion engine 1, and the air compressor 2; a duct 10,having branches 10a returnsthe heated circulating water to thereceptacle 8, wherein it is cooled and again passed through saidjackets; and a duct 11 conveys the products of combustion exhausted fromtheengine 1. Two branches 11b and 11f extend from the duct 11 and thebranch 11b is provided with branches 11d, 110, 110 to convey exhaust gasto the jackets of the multi-stage air motor cylinders 6, 7a and 7 b. Thebranch 11f conveys exhaust gas to the heating means associated with theintermediate receiver 5, from whence said exhaust gas is conveyed to theheating means associated with the receiver 4 by means of a duct 11g, andafter passing through said means, said exhaust gas is discharged to theatmosphere through the ducts 11h and 36.

A duct 2a conveys the compressed air from the compressor 2 to thereceiver 3; a duct 3a, fitted with a valve 30. conveys compressed airfrom the receiver 3 to the intermediate receiver 4; a duct 4a, havin apressure controlling valve 415, of usual orm, embodying the well knownprinciples of the Foster, Mason or Leslie pressure control valves,affords communication for compressed air from the intermediate receiver4 to the receiver 5; and a duct 40 conveys compressed air from theintermediate receiver 4 to the distribution valve 6a of usualconstruction, associated with the high pressure or first expansion stageair motor cylinder 6.

A duct 5a conveys partially expanded air exhausted from the cylinder 6to the intermediate receiver 5, and a duct 5b conveys compressed airreceived from receiver 4 and the partially ex anded air fromintermediate receiver 5 to distributing valves 7 of usual construction,associated with the second expansion stage cylinders 7a, 76, through thebranches 5d, 50.

- A duct 811, having branches 8b, 8c conveys the finally expanded airexhausted from the final expansion stage cylinders 77), Ta, to thecooling means associated with the receptacle 8; a duct 8d, conveys saidair from said cooling means to the cooling means associated with thereceiver 3; and the duct 35 conveys said air from said cooling means ofreceiver 3, to the atmosphere.

My invention seeks as one of its objects to accomplish the cooling ofthe circulating water by using, as a cooling agent, air expanded in themulti-stage motor to the lowest practicable temperature, to wit, justabove freezmg.

Also in the instant invention the air stored in the receiver 3 is cooledby the air that has first been used to cool the circulating water in thereceptacle 8.

Air thus cooled, if expanded through an appropriate temperature range inthe first stage, or high-pressure cylinder 6 of the multi-stage airmotor, would suffer such an adiabatic drop in temperature that anymoisture contained in said air would speedily freeze and cause such. anaccumulation of ice or frost as to disable the engine. Air is thereforedrawn from the receiver 3 through the duct 3a, having the valve 3a, tothe intermediaite receiver 4, containing a heating means, such as a nestof tubes through which the hot exhaust gases from the Diesel engine arecirculated, thus heating and increasing the volume of the air beforeadmission to the cylinder 6'.

\Vhen the air is expanded in the cylinder 6, especially if the ratio ofexpansion therein be comparatively great, it will suffer a severe fallin temperature incident to the adiabatic expansion, and more heat mustbe imparted to such partially expanded air to prevent a fall intemperature below the freezing point at the end of the subsequent stageof ex ansion in the cylinders 7a, 7 b. There ore, the inventioncontemplates subjecting the partially expanded air to the heating effectof the exhaust gases from the Diesel engine before said gases are usedto heat the air admitted to the first expansion stage, by

admitting said gases to the heating means contained within theintermediate receiver 5, which receives exhaust air from the first stagecylinder 6, said heating means being preferably of the kind described asenclosed in the receiver 4, and then conveying the air thus re-heatedtogether with any additional air supplied through the duct 4a.to thecylinders 7a, 7b, of the final expansion s age.

Adiabatic cooling of the air in the multistage alr motor is to a certainextent compensated for by heating exteriorly the walls of said motor.This is accomplished by circulating through the jackets thereof aportion of the exhaust gases from the engine 1, the gases beingexhausted to the atmosphere through the exhaust pipes 12. As is obviousto those skilled in the operation of locomotives, the ratioof expansionin the air motor cylinders will be varied from time to time as thedemands for power change. Hence different fractions of the whole amountof the exhaust gases may berequired respectively by the jackets of theair motor cylinders and the heating meanaassociated with theintermediate receivers 4 and 5, and, if desired, any suitable well knownmeans such as valves, (not shown) may of course be provided to controlthe flow of exhaust gases to the motorcylinder jacket'and receivers 4and 5.

It is apparent that if very short cut-ofis entailing high ratios ofexpanslon are used in the first expansion stage cyhnder'fi, the pressureof the receiver 5, would'drop to very low values..

For many reasons, this is undesirable, and hence there is provided the.reducmg valve 4?), located in the conduit 4a,'whereby,1 1nder the abovedescribed conditions, an W111 be drawn'from the receiver 4 in suchamounts as may be needed to supply the receiver 5 with sufiicient airirrespective of the amount of air received from the cylinder 6.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: 1

1. The co binatioii of an air motor; an

.air storage receptacle; means for supplying air under pressure to'thereceptacle 1ncluding an internal combustion engine; means for coolingthe air in the receptacle to perm t the storage of an increased quantityof air within said receptacle; means for transmitting air from thereceptacle to the air motor; means for heating the air during tstransmission from the receptacle .to the motor; and means whereby thecooling and heating mediums are supplied from the respectlve exhausts ofthe air motor and internal combustion engine.

2. The combination of a multi-stage air motor; an air storagereceptacle; means for supplying air under pressure to the receptacleincluding an internal combustion engme; means for cooling the air in thereceptacle to permit the storage of an increased quantity of air withinsaid receptacle; means for transmitting air from the receptacle to thefirst stage of the air motor for operating the same; means fortransmitting alr exhausted from said first stage of the air motor to asecond stage of said motor for operatin the same; means for supplyingexhaust rom the second stage of the motor as the cooling medium to themeans for'cooling air in said receptacle; means for supplying exhaustfrom the internal combustion engine to said air transmission meansbetween said receptacle and said first stage of the air motor to heatsaid air prior to its introduction into said first stage; and means forsupplymg exhaust from the internal combustion engine an'inter'nal'combustion engine; means for cooling the air in thereceptacle to permit the stor e of an increased quantity of air withinsaid receptacle; means for transmitting air from the receptacle to theair motor;

means for heatingair during its transmis-' sion from the receptacle 'tothe motor; means for heating the air motor; means whereby exhaust airfrom the air motor will be supplied, as the cooling medium, to the meansfor cooling the air in the receptacle; and means whereby the exhaustfrom the internal combustion engine will be supplied, as the heatingmedium, to the means for heating the air motor and will be supplied, asthe heating medium, to the means for heating the air durmg itstransmission from the receptacle to the-motor.

4. The combination of an air motor; an air storage receptacle; means forsupplying air under pressure to the receptacle including an nternalcombustion engine; means for coolmg the air in the receptacle to permitthe storage of an increased quantity of air within said receptacle;means for transmitting air from the receptacle to the air motor; meansfor heating air during its transmission from the receptacle to themotor; means for cooling the internal combustion engine; means wherebythe exhaust air from the air motor will be utilized for cooling a coolinmedium to the means for cooling the interna combust1on engine and willbe subsequently utilized as the cooling medium to the means for coolingthe air in the receptacle; and means for supplying the exhaust from theinternal combustion engine, as the heating medium, to the means forheating the air during its transmission from the receptacle to the airmotor.

5. For use in a locomotive, a high pressure air motor; a low pressureair motor; an air reservoir for power air for the high pressure airmotor, communicating therewith; another air reservoir for power air forthelow pressure motor, communicating therewith; a compressor forsupplying air for said reservoirs; means for conveying exhaust air fromthe high pressure motor to the second mentioned reservoir whereby theair supplies for said second mentioned reservoir are commingled therein;means for supplying a heating medium to said second mentioned reservoirin heat exchange relation with the air contained therein; and means forconveying said heating medium from said second mentioned reservoir tosaid first mentioned reserfrom the high pressure motor to the secondmentioned reservoir, whereby said vair supplies for said secondmentioned reservoir are commingled therein; means for supplying aheating medium to said second mentioned reservoir in heat exchangerelation with the air contained therein; and means for conveying saidheating medium from said second mentioned reservoir to said firstmentioned reservoir for heating the air therein by heat exchangerelation therewith.

DAVID T. WILLI'AMS.

